Merchant of Venice Assesment Essay Example for Free

Merchant of Venice Assesment Essay In this assessment I will analyse Shakespeare’s use of language, structure and dramatic techniques to present the relationship between Shylock and the Christians at different points of the play. I will first look at Act 1 Scene 3, where we learn that Shylock has suffered mercilessly at the hands of the Christians and now harbors an almost sadistic hatred towards them. This can be evidence by Shylock’s statement to Antonio. â€Å"You†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦gabardine,†. This statement allows the audience to gain an understanding of Shylock’s feelings and hatred towards Antonio. However, what is fascinating about this quote is Shakespeare’s use of the words â€Å"you† and â€Å"dog†. This is because, although Shylock and Antonio have never met before, Shylock’s use of the word â€Å"you† suggests otherwise. The reason behind Shakespeare’s use of personal and direct language is to allow the audience to imagine Antonio as the embodiment of Christianity. Thus, letting the Elizabethan audience know that Shylock’s feelings of hatred is actually aimed towards the Christians and hence the Elizabethan audience themselves, therefore causing further resent and prejudice towards Shylock’s character. While the use of the word â€Å"dog†, which is repeated throughout the play, not only symbolises that the Christians see Shylock as beneath them and will never be their equal. But also reinforces, through the use of repetition, that Shylock is seen as an infestation to the Elizabethan society, which in turn adds to Shylock’s humiliation and determination for revenge. However, due to his social ranking Shylock must consciously recognise his position of inferiority and must also treat the Christians with a, one sided, respect, despite his affluent position. Shakespeare manages to show this involuntary respect from Shylock to Antonio by structuring the dialog between these two main characters in poetry. Furthermore the level of hatred that Shylocks possesses towards the Christians can be evidence from Shylocks aside speech to the audience. â€Å"If†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦bear him.† The â€Å"ancient grudge† in this case being that Antonio is a Christian. This aside statement not only strengthens the idea that the mutual disdain between Shylock and the Christian is religious in nature, but also Shylock’s obsessive need for revenge, a revenge he hopes to achieve through Antonio’s bond. Because of this aside speech, most modern day audiences would be able to sympathise with Shylocks need for retribution. However, for an Elizabethan audience, Shylock’s aside speech will have no sympathetic effect. Instead it was a dramatic techniques used by Shakespeare to add further prejudice towards Shylock’s character and to add comedic value to the play. In Act 3 Scene 1, we see the seriousness of Shylock’s sadistic nature when he discovers that Antonio cannot fulfil his bond. Arguing that his obsession for revenge is just and he is entitled to revenge, in the same way that any Christian would. â€Å"hath†¦..?†, â€Å"If†¦..revenge!† This iconic speech uses a number of persuasive techniques to justify Shylocks feelings and need for retribution. First notice Shakespeare’s use of rhetorical questions in quick succession. This technique causes the audience to think, agree and actually sympathise with Shylock argument to some extent. This agreement is then reinforced, through the use of imagery, allowing the audience to gain a better understanding of Shylock’s feeling and emotions. Thus cause the audience to realise some of the prejudice that is currently present towards the Jewish community. In conclusion Shakespeare has used a variety of techniques and forms of languages to effectively highlight the prejudice towards the Jewish community during the Elizabethan period. In the two act that I mentioned it is clear that Shylocks feels he deserve justice through personal revenge and that he is not respected in the society, due to the Christians arrogant and prejudice vies towards his people. Although most of use might not morally agree with Shylock’s approach in seeking retribution, there is no denying that the language used by Shakespeare is a strong reminder of what persecution can have on an individual.

Time in Thomas’ Fern Hill and Cummings’ anyone lived in a pretty how to

"Historically speaking,†¦time is lost; poetically speaking,†¦time is regained in the act of visionary creation" (Crewe 400). Poetry allows for the capture of a moment in time otherwise lost in the blink of an eye. British poet Dylan Thomas and American poet E.E. Cummings have both been noted for the recurring themes of passage of time in their poetry. In Thomas’ "Fern Hill" and Cummings’ "anyone lived in a pretty how town," both modern poets utilize a juxtaposition of paradoxes to express the irrevocable passage of time and the loss of innocence attributed to it. While Thomas projects his mature feelings into a nostalgic site of his childhood, Cummings takes a more detached approach by telling a seemingly trivial, paradoxical story of "noone" and "anyone," which through negation tells a universal life story. "Fern Hill" is a personal account, Thomas’ nostalgic revisit to a place where as a child he had spent time with his aunt. Through this sentimental revisit, he comes to realize the inevitable passage of time and a resulting loss of innocence. The poem was actually triggered by his visits to Fern Hill as an adult during a time of war. After Thomas’s hometown Swansea in Wales was bombed by the Nazi air campaign against Great Britain, Thomas’ parents moved out to their cottage near the farm of Fernhill. "[Thomas’] visits to his parents during the war triggered the memories of the happy Edenic times when he was young and thoughts of war were still distant" (Miller 99). In this poem, he revisits both his own childhood, and ,symbolically, the childhood and prewar innocence of his country. "Anyone lived in a pretty how town," is less personal. A love story made trivial through the use of "noone" and "anyone," this poem plays ... ...icking of the social clock becomes almost deafening. Works Cited Cox, C.B. "Dylan Thomas’s ‘Fern Hill’." The Critical Quarterly. 1 (1959): 134-38. Crewe, J.V. "The Poetry of Dylan Thomas." Theoria. Pietermaritzburg, Vol.XXXVIII 1972: 65-83. Davidow, Mary C. "Journey from Apple Orchard to Swallow Thronged Loft: ‘Fern Hill’." English Journal 58 (1969): 78-81. Kidder, Rushworth M. E.E. Cummings: An Introduction to the Poetry. New York: Columbia University Press, 1979. Miller, Tyrus. "Essay for Poetry for Students." Gale (1998). Rotella, Guy. "Nature, Time, and Transcendence in Cummings’ Later poems." Critical Essays on E.E. Cummings G.K. Hall & Co., 1984. 283-302. Turco, Lewis. "Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town." Masterplots II. Wegner, Robert E. The Poetry and Prose of E.E. Cummings. New York: Hartcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1965.

Policeman of the World Essay

Since gaining independence from the British in 1776, the United States foreign policy over the years has gone from expansionist to isolationism to defending democracy. With the responsibility of defending democratic rights for those who cannot defend themselves, the United States in my opinion has taken on the role of â€Å"policeman of the world.† This role became more evident with the use of U.S. military force in international incidents like U.S. intervention in the 2011 Libyan Civil War to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and U.S. involvement in the 2011 Yemeni Civil War protesting the leadership of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Despite the United States being hailed as a defender of democracy by some, their actions are usually not selfless. In both situations protecting United States interests was a major factor. Both Libya and Yemen are hot beds for terrorist activity by radical groups like al-Qaeda. The United States keeps tabs on the activities of these groups in an effort to intercept information to thwart acts of terrorism, particularly against Americans. Leadership in these vulnerable countries is of great interest to the United States because some regimes are sympathetic to these militant groups. A lack of clear leadership in these countries also poses a threat to U.S. interests because a lapse in leadership can lead to militant groups seizing control. Three aspects of U.S. history since 1865 that led to the US’s rise as a world super power policeman are religious and moral views, geopolitical reasons, and financial reasons. First, American missionaries believed that it was their duty to spread Christianity to the uncivilized areas of the world. Second, European nations were effectively dividing the resource rich areas of the world between them and were profiting greatly from th ese regions. The U.S. felt that it too could profit from these acquisitions both financially and strategically. Third, the advent of the industrial age led to the accumulation of wealth for many business leaders in America. These businessmen saw the potential of further economic expansion by having access  to overseas markets and materials. Three international incidents from the past five years that can be traced back to a foreign policy created after the Civil War are Vietnam, Somalia, and Iraq. The Vietnam War began in 1955 and was fought between communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The regime of North Vietnam and its allies known as the Viet Cong were supported by the Russian government while South Vietnam’s primary ally was the United States. In 1991 the President of Somalia Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown and this led to the beginning of a civil war. During this time various militias vied for control of the country. This marked a period of intense violence and fighting which eventually required both United Nations Peacekeeping forces and U.S. military involvement. The Iraqi war of 2003 started after Iraq claimed to possess weapons of mass destruction. Under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, some segments of the Iraqi population prospered while others were threatened with violence, tortured, and killed. Under Saddam Hussein’s regime, Iraq developed chemical weapons that were used against its enemies and even its own people. Three driving forces that fueled international policy decisions involving the international incidents with Vietnam, Somalia, and Iraq were containing communism, providing United Nations aid, and protecting the United States from threats abroad. In Vietnam, the United States was afraid communism would spread around the world, undermining capitalism. Stopping North Vietnam from spreading its communist regime to South Vietnam was seen as necessary particularly during the Cold War battle with the Soviet Union. During the Somali Civil War the suffering of the people was broadcast worldwide and there was public outcry for aid to the country. In Somalia, the United States mission was first and foremost to support the United Nations relief effort to provide aid to millions of starving Somali people. The United States entered Iraq to remove Weapons of Mass Destruction which were believed to have been developed under Iraq’s dictator Saddam Hussein who all but proclaimed he possessed these weapons. These weapons posed a threat to the United States and its allies and after 9/11 the United States had implemented a policy of protecting itself from any current or perceivable future threats. In the two hundred plus years since establishing its independence, the United States has adopted various attitudes towards foreign policy. Immediately after obtaining independence from Great  Britain, this fairly new nation focused on issues on the home front. After the devastation of the Civil War, the country welcomed the Industrial Revolution with open arms. The advances in technology and transportation during the Industrial Revolution led to great improvements in American society and established the United States as a world power. Most Americans believed it was their duty to civilize the world. Although the United States had moral reasons for expansion, their foreign policy was mostly fueled by self-interest. This self-interest dictated foreign policy from 1867 all the way to the present day. References Dilanian, K., & Cloud, D. (2012, May 16). U.S. escalates clandestine war in Yemen. In Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 23, 2014, from http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/05/washington-escalation-american- clandestine-war-yemen-us-troops-.html Dwyer, D. (2011, August 22). US military intervention in Libya cost at least $896 million. In abc News. Retrieved February 23, 2014, from http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/08/us-military-intervention-in-libya-cost-at-least-896-million/ Schultz, K. M. (2014). HIST: Volume 2: U.S. history since 1865 (3rd ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Vietnam war. (n.d.). In History. Retrieved February 23, 2014, from http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war

The, The Salem Witch Trials And The Civil Rights Movement...

It is often affirmed that as the most dominant species on planet earth, human beings essentially rule the way in which our world has evolved; we have cognitive abilities that allow us to explore a multitude of complex variables, utilize logic, formulate a wide range of choices, and act out our decisions. However, even as highly logical creatures, humans have the propensity to be influenced by the choices of others or information presented to them, form groups of like-minded individuals, and participate in behaviors they would likely not have undertaken on their own. This particular behavior has been coined the â€Å"mob mentality and under it, people appear to become mindless automatons that lack any ability to act on their own thoughts. While there are perfect examples of mob mentalities doing good, such as the pivotal march on Washington during the Civil rights movement of the 1960’s, to something as simple as the yearly gathering of like-minded individuals at the Burnin g Man Festival, there are far more insidious examples such as the Holocaust, the Salem Witch trials, and Bacon’s Rebellion. In the realm of human behavior, each of these â€Å"events† is representational of what psychology defines as a mob or herd mentality and this group behavior has been an intrinsic quality of human civilizations throughout history. As such, this writer believes that Bacon’s Rebellion is a prime example of the negative implications mob mentalities are capable of generating. However theShow MoreRelatedThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1001 Words   |  5 PagesToday there are kids and adults that wonder why the events of the Salem witch trials actually happened because everyone was blamed for no reason and all people did was make excuses. Those types of people also wonder how the people back then were tricked into believing that witches existed and they had to deal with everything that happened in a harsh manner because everyone was in a  "I can’t get in trouble let me blame someone else† type of attitude. There are many beliefs today that witches likeRead MoreEssay about McCarthyism versus the Salem Witch Trials1198 Words   |  5 Pagesaccused of crimes so absurd that when put to trial, they name others of the same crime to redirect the focus from them to others like it happens in the actual day, every year, with minor cases. McCarthyism was one of those cases that changed history, likewise the Salem Witch Trials. 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After staying relatively quiet during the late 1800’s the KKK began to gain power and influence in the early 1900s. This second era of the Klan came about because of the civil rights movements and the release of the 1915 movie â€Å"Birth of a Nation. This movie portrayed African-Americans as unintelligent misogynists. The â€Å"second era† KKK was not only anti African-Americans. The KKK were also anti Catholics, Jews, immigrants. TheyRead MoreThe Crucible : An Allegory For The Red Scare2011 Words   |  9 Pagesalso feared the threat of Black Americans being equal in status to White Americans during the Civil Rights movement. Although the crucible takes place in 1692, Salem, it reflects the concerns of 1950?s American life and is an allegory for the Red Scare, and Homosexuality. [2: Wall, Wendy. Anti-Communism in the 1950s. www.gilderlehrman.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. .] The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, which was a puritan town.[endnoteRef:3] Reverend Parris is praying over hisRead MoreLiterary Analysis : The Crucible 1195 Words   |  5 Pageshave been categorized, discriminated against, and treated according to their class, financial status, and race. Many concrete and obvious examples of this have appeared throughout the years, ranging from the Salem witch trials in the late 1600’s, all the way to the recent civil rights movements in the 1950’s and 60’s. Social history uses personal stories to show how class/status and race played a part in the way people were treated in America. In â€Å"The Crucible†, a play about people being accused ofRead MoreThe Litany Of Atlanta By Du Bois874 Words   |  4 PagesOn September 22, 1906, the most heinous and ambiguous racial riot occurred in Atlanta, Georgia. Unbeknownst to many Atlanta natives, an actual civil movement presented itself in the center of Georgia capitol. It is still in question whether or not the over exaggerated news articles or the growing traction between two the races resulted in the riot but consequently the tension between the blacks and whites led to the murder of African American men and women and some white. Thus W.E.B. Du Bois, founderRead MoreHistorical Steps Toward Religious Liberty824 Words   |  4 PagesWhat follows is a skimpy sketch of some things you should know. There were three types of colonies: Charter: The king grants a license to run a colony on â€Å"his† land in America. Proprietary: The king gives land and all rights to run a colony to an individual or a group. The colony then belongs to the proprietor(s). Royal: The king owns the colony. Though religious freedom is often cited as the reason for people migrating from England to America, it is too simplistic. It is more accurate to sayRead MoreSlavery, Abolition and the South2526 Words   |  10 Pagesown European culture in this land. The Blacks were stripped of their culture and their land. The main political developments for this time period affected the Blacks in a negative way. They were not to be considered human so they had no legal or civil rights. There were laws created to enforce cruel and sometimes deadly punishments on slaves that resisted the harsh treatment put upon them; laws that had an effect on the Black slaves like the ones started in Virginia, that declared that all White menRead MoreHow Does Literature Shape American Culture?968 Words   |  4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter, The Narrative of the Life of Fredric Douglass and various other works of literature are all pieces of American literature that have helped shape American society. The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in the sixteen hundreds. Hester Prynne is accused of committing adultery in her small puritan settlement but little does the town know that the father is in fact Reverend Dismmesdale. Having sent his wife ahead of him two years before